Shadows of the Night
by DarkBloodbender937
Summary: "I'm a shadow; not meant to be seen or heard. You can't change me." "I don't believe that." One girl hides a dark talent and past. Only Ash and his friends can help her overcome the shadows and bring her into the light. Gary/OC, some Pokeshipping
1. A Memorable Meeting

_**A note: I've recently gone back and watched all the old Pokémon episodes and am somewhere in season 5. I've read up on the ending of Master Quest so I could get info on Gary, but I didn't want to be spoiled too much ...**_

_**Original (older) Gang + Gary are in this story... (they're around 15/16, but traveling in Johto)**_

_**This is based on the show, not the manga/games since, for me, the show's easier to follow in a story...**_

_**Bear with me on the age change, guys! :)**_

_**There will be some Pokeshipping later on, just to warn you guys. :)**_

_**Disclaimer: Do you **_**really**_** think I own Pokémon? If I did, Misty would still be on the show, she and Ash would be together, and I would freakin' own Ash Ketchum!**_

_**But I don't, they're not, and only in my dreams. XD**_

_**All rights go to Nintendo and Game Freak.**_

"Ember, let's go!" came the whispered command from the highest branches of the tree.

The Pokémon leapt from the opposite tree, landing as softly as its trainer on the grass. The strange blue stars on the grey fur of its body glowed softly through the darkness, matching the mark on the girl's left cheek.

The girl knelt next to her trusted Mightyena. The moonlight bounced off her pale skin, making her appear to be glowing dimly. Her features were elfin, with a mysterious, almost wild look to them. She brushed her messy black hair out of her eyes and spoke in a low voice that barely carried over the rustle of the leaves. "You know where we're heading, but we have to be careful. I've heard rumors of thieves in this next town."

The Mightyena growled softly.

"Yes, we are. But we don't hurt others. They do. So we've got to be careful."

Mightyena let out a bark.

The girl smiled. "Then let's go!" At the last word she sprang up and sprinted between the trees, the wolf Pokémon following close behind.

_'This is where I really belong,'_ the girl thought as the wind whipped her choppy black hair around. _'Out in the forest, especially at night, with Ember…My old life didn't suit me. Still…sometimes I wish things could have turned out differently.'_

A small whimper brought her attention to her companion, who brushed its tail against her heels in comfort, never slowing its pace.

The girl smiled. _'You've always known what's up with me, dear friend. You may not be a Psychic-type, but we share something very special, don't we? One mind, two beings…'_

Ember didn't answer, but the markings on her trainer glowed brighter than before.

It wasn't long before the half-moon began to pale—morning was probably only a few hours away. The girl and her Pokémon neared the town. Silently, with only a sideways glance for communication, the two climbed up to the rooftops. If anyone had looked up, they would have only seen two shadows, one taller than the other but just as graceful.

She landed in a crouch, Ember landing silently next to her. "Ember, go!"

The Pokémon glowed deep purple and melded into a mist-like substance, which faded into the walls of the grocery store. The girl smiled. Yes, her spirit sister was one of a kind.

She waited for three tense minutes. Jolting up from her crouch, she spun around to face the forest at the exact moment the Mightyena emerged from the store with a bag full of spoils clutched in its mouth. "They're on the alert," she hissed. "Let's go this way!" She darted around the corner and into the trees, Ember following at her heels.

"Stop! Thief!" The girl's lips twisted in cynical smile as the familiar cry rang out behind her. She continued to run, thankful for the millionth time for her jeans, sneakers, and dark shirt that allowed her to run free and disguised in the night. _'Nice try. I _have _to be good at this though. Considering the alternative…'_ She shivered and continued running.

"Stop!" This time, the call came from ahead, just in front of her. She drew up short and watched with narrowed eyes as a boy about her age emerged from the forest with an Umbreon. "Put it back."

"Put what back?" she asked, feigning innocence. She couldn't run, so she had to find a way to keep this boy talking long enough to slip away.

He only raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his black shirt. "You know, all the commotion you've stirred up interrupted my research."

"You were doing research at _this_ time of night?"

"Early morning, actually," he corrected, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "And yeah. Field research. It's my job. Besides, Umbreon here wanted to go for an early run—and so did I. So…" He tilted his head, a lopsided smile on his face. "Why don't you just hand over the stolen stuff and I can give you some free food?"

"I don't take handouts," she snapped, narrowing her leaf-green eyes again.

"So you'd rather steal and be on the run than be full and comfortable?"

"Yes."

He laughed. "Okay. But I still think you should accept my invitation."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Hey, you're the thief here, not me."

The girl ground her teeth together. _'If he had any idea of what I _really _was—'_

If he knew, then you'd either be dead or under watch at some lab. Her Mightyena didn't speak human language but, somehow, she and the girl could talk mind-to-mind. Now, she was advising the girl, Don't give anything away.

_'Do you think he's dangerous?'_

I'm not sure. But he's human. Don't trust him.

The boy was speaking again, seemingly unaware of the conversation that had just passed. "Do you at least have a name?"

_'It couldn't hurt,'_ the girl thought to herself and her Pokémon. _'It's not like anyone else knows my name. The information's useless.'_ "Raelin."

"Nice name," he commented. She stayed silent. "My name's Gary."

"Common name," she said, smirking.

"Yup, I was right. You're definitely a rebel."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Quit chatting and let's go! Ember said with a bark. Gary's eyes darted to her companion. His eyes glinted suspiciously.

"I'd really like to chat, but…" She tried to move past Gary, but he and his Umbreon shifted, blocking her way. She took a step back, annoyed. "Look, I really need to go."

"Well, I don't think you're in any immediate danger." His voice had taken an amused tone. His lips twitched upward when she gave an annoyed grunt. "Tell you what, Raelin: you battle me, 2-on-2. If you win, then I'll get you past the police and make sure you aren't seen."

"Sounds like a good deal. But what's in it for you?" She crossed her arms. Ember tensed at her side.

Gary smiled. Raelin decided that she actually liked his smile—or, she would have, if it hadn't been at her expense. "If _I_ win, you come with me and have a proper meal and a decent conversation. Who knows? You might even _like_ being civilized."

She barked out a laugh. "Maybe I like being uncivilized more." She suddenly got serious, inky hair falling into her fierce green eyes and body crouching in just the slightest way. At that moment, Gary thought she looked remarkably like her Pokémon—no human could change that subtly and look more like a predator than she did then. "Listen, you," she growled from behind bared teeth. "If you turn me in, put me in any danger, do anything against my wishes after this match, your life will end. I'll be the one that makes sure of that. Got it?" He nodded, cool and uncaring—on the outside, at least. "Good." She straightened, back to looking human again. Except for her eyes, which glowed at him through the dark. "Then let's battle."

"Ladies first."

Ignoring her irritation, Raelin pulled a Pokéball from her belt and tossed it. "Lunatone, I choose you!"

"Blastoise, go!"

White light burst from the two Pokéballs as their inhabitants were released. Raelin flexed her hand in the fingerless gloves she wore. This would be difficult. "Lunatone, start things off with a Rock Throw!"

"Luuna…" The moon-rock Pokémon glowed dimly. Several boulders lifted from the earth and shot forward.

"Blastoise, use Water Gun!"

The huge blue Pokémon shot water from the two canons in its shell. The jets of water hit the boulders, flinging them back at the opponent.

"Lunatone, dodge it!" The Pokémon zipped out of the way along with its Trainer, the rocks missing them. "Nice work!" Raelin said, standing smoothly. "Try a Confusion attack!" A white ring radiated from Lunatone's crescent body and blasted out. When it hit Blastoise, it stumbled, disoriented. "Now use Tackle!"

"Lun-a-tone!" Its meteorite body hit the opponent dead center, knocking the already off-balance Pokémon back into the trees.

"Now finish it with Giga Impact!"

Lunatone began to glow with purple energy.

"Blastoise, try to shake it off and use a Hydro Pump attack!" Gary called. His Pokémon stood, shaking its head. Purple energy shot from its enemy. Just before it hit the water Pokémon, an immense amount of water shot from Blastoise's canons. Lunatone was thrown backwards.

"Lunatone!" Raelin ran to her Pokémon, which was lying in a deflated manner on the ground. She knelt next to it, pulling the empty Pokéball from her belt. "He had the type advantage. You did great, Lunatone. Go ahead and rest." Red light streamed from the Pokéball and Lunatone disappeared inside.

Raelin stood, hands clenched. _'He's good. He knows what he's doing. And I'm on my last Pokémon for this match…'_ Her eyes scanned his face; he was waiting patiently for her to choose. "All right. Ember get out there and let's win this!" The Mightyena leapt out to the battle field with a growl.

Gary studied her shrewdly. "Okay. Blastoise, hit it with Skull Bash!" His Pokémon leapt forward, intending to strike Ember head-on.

The Mightyena darted away, having been warned by her Trainer's thoughts. She ducked underneath the Blastoise, confusing it. Ember used a Take Down attack, again knocking her opponent off-balance.

Gary frowned. "Blastoise, use Rapid Spin," he commanded. His Pokémon drew itself into its shell and began to spin quickly. It knocked into Ember, who was thrown into the air. She landed on the ground hard.

"Ember! Are you okay?" The Mightyena growled the affirmative and stood shakily. "Good. You know what to do." With a bark, she dodged back from another attack. A glowing orange ball appeared in her mouth as she charged her Hyper Beam attack. Just before Blastoise was about to hit her again, she jumped away, letting the orange beam fire at the water Pokémon. Blastoise fell and its Trainer moved forward.

"You gave it your all, Blastoise. Good job." He returned Blastoise to its Pokéball and stood. "I'm surprised, Rae. You're good."

"_Don't_…call me that," she hissed, wincing at the use of her childhood nickname.

Gary laughed. "Aw, why not? It's pretty. I think it fits you."

She tried to feel angry about his comment, but for some weird reason she got a strange twisting feeling in her stomach instead. Trying to ignore it, she spat, "Just send out your next Pokémon."

"Whatever you want, Lin." He grinned.

_'__**That**_ _one's new,'_ she thought, surprised. She sort of liked it.

Stop drooling over the human and pay attention!

Raelin snapped out of her thoughts abruptly. Her face felt a little hot, but she focused in on the task at hand. Gary had sent out his Umbreon.

"Umbreon, start with a Quick Attack!"

"Um-bre!" The glowing black and yellow Pokémon darted forward, catching Ember off-guard and knocking her backwards.

"Good, now use Toxic!"

The Umbreon leapt out of the way of a Tackle attack and opened its mouth. A thick black smog drifted out across the small space. Ember stood and took a breath to steady herself.

Sharp pain hit Raelin's side and she coughed. Panicked, she cried mentally, _ 'Did you inhale that stuff?'_

Yes, I think so. The wolf Pokémon winced. But I can keep going. What about you?

_'I'm okay.'_ She could tell Ember didn't quite believe her; that was the problem with a psychic connection. _'Go ahead and try a Bite attack.'_

Ember used Umbreon's most recent attack to flip it over and dart in for a powerful bite. The Umbreon flinched back.

"Umbreon, are you okay?" called Gary, concerned. His Pokémon answered with a quick, "Bre!" "Then finish it off with Quick Attack!"

"Breon!" It ran through the space, gathering speed. The yellow rings on it body glowed and had a dizzying effect on its opponent and her Trainer.

"Ember, try to get out of the way!"

But the Mightyena wasn't fast enough. Umbreon hit her hard in the side, knocking the already unsteady Pokémon off her feet. Ember wasn't able to continue; she dropped to the ground with a pained bark. Her Trainer ran and knelt next to her.

"Ember…" Raelin panted, weakened from the poison now coursing through them both. "You should have forfeited. You know we make these decisions together."

Ember whimpered. At least we put up a good fight, huh? That human's impressed.

_'We should have quit while we were ahead and gotten out of here,'_ she thought, head dropping. _'We're both weak and we can't go back to that town. We'll have to keep going to get to a Pokémon Center and that's a long way from here. Maybe we could ask Gary—'_

No! He's _human_! A pause as she shifted her weight, trying to stand. And he's coming over! We have to get out of here, now!

"Hey, sorry about that. Here, lemme help you." Gary's hand entered Raelin's line of vision, and she panicked.

"Move!" she gasped, shoving him away. Ember yelped and staggered sideways. Raelin clutched at her ribs and looked down. No wound in sight, clothing intact. But the pain was there, no doubt about it. Her eyes darted up when she saw Gary trying to help her. "Get the hell outta my way!" she snarled. With all force possible, she stood straight and dove past him into the trees. Her Pokémon followed, literally at her heels.

For a few minutes she heard rustling behind her. Gary was obviously trying to follow. Her lips twitched. He was fast for a human. But even when she was weakened and hurt, she was still faster.

She almost collapsed from the pain and her confused thoughts, Ember's will to continue being the only thing making her run. _'That's the second time tonight I've thought of 'humans'. Almost like I'm not one. That hasn't happened since the accident…'_ She shoved the strange thoughts away, willing them to be blown away by the wind rushing past.

Just keep moving! Her companion barked, tongue lolling. Raelin could sense her Pokémon getting weak.

_'Ember, maybe we could just stop for a little—'_

No! You're hurt!

_'But so are you!' _She tried to use their connection to pull the Mightyena back.

Stop that! My wounds aren't serious, but yours are. Besides, most of the poison is in you. My wound from the battle is physical.

Again, she almost stopped running. _'You mean my wound isn't?'_ There wasn't an answer. _'Ember!'_ Her Pokémon winced slightly from the force of her mental shout but did not speak. Raelin let out a huff, but maybe it was for the best. It took energy to speak telepathically and she needed that energy to run.

It dawned on her that Ember was getting too far ahead and she knew she couldn't go for much longer. If the Pokémon knew that, she didn't show any sign. Raelin's chest and throat burned every time she tried to inhale and the sharp pain in her side kept coming back at random intervals, sapping her strength quickly. Her whole body was starting to feel weak and achy.

She fell to the ground hard, foot tangled in a root from a large tree. Her head was pounding and hitting it on the ground didn't help at all. She stumbled back up and almost immediately fell again as the ground titled underneath her. Pain radiated from her side all through her body now. Even lying down, she felt sick and dizzy.

Raelin! She could feel Ember turn and run back. I didn't think it would get that bad…It wasn't this bad last time…

She could tell the Pokémon was mad at herself for ignoring the situation. "Ember!" she gasped. "Just…get help! Now!"

She barked. Even if I have to get a human, I'll get help! She darted back through the trees.

_'Please…come back…soon.'_ She didn't even know if Ember could hear her or not. Her vision was blurring, and it felt better if she closed her eyes. She could feel her consciousness slipping and strange scenes began to flash in the black behind her eyelids, confused and blurred.

_A house burning. Lightning hit a tree and now the forest was lit. Screaming. People running from a town. A boy with black shaggy hair was running toward her, it seemed. Calling her name._

Her gloved hands clenched, fisting in a death grip on the grass. She tried to speak, barely managing a weak call to a person who would never come. "Ryder…"

Her hands and body relaxed as she gave in to the dark.

_**I freakin' LOVE Gary. *glomps Gary***_

_**Raelin is this really pretty Celtic name I found that means "mysterious/beautiful warrior".**_

_**R&R is much appreciated!**_

_**Peace!**_

_**~ DarkBloodbender937**_


	2. New Friends, Old Memories

**Chapter 2! Finally!**

**Enter Ash and co. :D**

_**All rights go to Nintendo and Game Freak.**_

Ash was more than happy to take a break from traveling, especially if it meant lunch. He took a deep breath of the delicious scent wafting toward him on the breeze and hovered near the fire. "It smells great, Brock."

"Ash, if you keep doing that, you're going to inhale that stew before we even have a chance to eat it," said Misty, looking up from where she sat watching Togepi play.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm hungry!"

"You're _always_ hungry."

"All right," said Brock, breaking in between the two before a real fight could start. "Food's ready, guys!"

"Awesome!" As expected, Ash was the first one to start eating.

"That was great," said Misty, taking a last bite.

"Almost better than yesterday's lunch," Ash agreed.

"Cha!" squealed Pikachu.

"Thanks guys!" Brock smiled and glanced at where Togepi was trilling and waving it arms happily. The three Trainers sat on the grass and watched their Pokémon play.

Something behind the trees caught Ash's attention. "Hey, what's that?" he pointed at the trees a little ways off. Misty and Brock turned curiously in the direction of his outstretched hand. A shadow was moving through the trees, winding between the thick trunks. The shadow moved so that it was visible in the sunlight.

"It's a Mightyena!" said Brock, standing up. Misty and Ash followed. As the group moved closer, the Pokémon let out a sharp bark and backed up a step.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked, confused by the Mightyena's strange behavior.

"Do you think it's wild?" Misty asked, watching anxiously.

"I'm not sure," replied Brock, "but it's hurt."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, look at the way it's moving." He indicated the Pokémon's limp and jumped when his friend started to move toward it.

"It's all right," Brock was saying, hand reaching out gently to the Mightyena. "We want to help you." The wolf Pokémon let out a low growl, but didn't move. "That's it." He knelt next to the Mightyena and held his hand out to it. It sniffed his hand wearily and then dropped down, unable to stand any longer. Brock smiled kindly and glanced over its injuries. He turned back to his friends. "It's hurt pretty bad. I don't think it has much energy left."

"We've got to get it to the Pokémon Center!" said Ash.

"Pika!" agreed Pikachu, echoing his Trainer's concern.

"C'mon," Brock urged the Mightyena, reaching forward slowly. He reeled back when the Pokémon snapped, growling. "Whoa, take it easy!"

"I don't think it wants to go," said Misty, frowning. She blinked as, in a sudden surge of energy, the Mightyena leapt up and headed back into the trees. It paused, looked back at the group, took two more steps, and stopped again. It circled once and looked at them. "I—think it wants us to follow it."

"Maybe if we go where it wants us to, we can persuade it to go to the Pokémon Center," mused Brock. "It's not fool-proof, but it seems like the best way…"

"Let's go!" said Ash, starting forward. Misty and Brock followed close behind. He was surprised by how fast the Mightyena was moving, despite its injuries. "Hey, wait up!" He sped up, determined to keep the Mightyena in sight.

Ash skidded to a halt when he entered a small break in the trees. The Mightyena was at the far end, standing by one of the trees. "Hey…"

Lying underneath a tree was a girl, about his own age. She appeared to be unconscious, her black hair slightly matted and lying messily on her shoulders. The Mightyena nudged the girl with its snout, but there was no response. It turned to him, its eyes pleading. "Is that your Trainer?" he asked softly. He noticed for the first time a black and white pendent around its neck, bobbing as the Mightyena nodded. He knelt down to get level with the Pokémon. "She's hurt bad, huh?" It barked. Ash heard Misty, Brock, and Pikachu run in behind him, but he kept his eyes on the distraught Pokémon. "We want to help both of you," he said gently, "but we can only do that if you trust us." He stood and stepped forward. "Guys, come on," he whispered. "I'm going to need help."

The Mightyena stepped in front of its Trainer with a low growl. Misty drew up short. "You've got to trust us," she said softly.

"My friends want to help too. Let us."

After several tense seconds, the Pokémon backed up, keeping a close eye on the humans who neared it.

"She's still breathing," said Misty, relieved.

"Yeah," said Ash. "But she's hurt and unconscious. Who knows how long she's been here?"

"I think I've got something that can revive her," said Brock. "But it's back in my bag."

"We'll have to carry her back to camp," muttered Ash. He turned to the wolf Pokémon. "Is that okay with you?" It titled its head, studied him for a moment, and then let out a yip. He took that as a "yes."

Together, the three Trainers carried the girl back to their campsite, the loyal Mightyena following the whole way.

_Raelin walked through the charred grass of a huge field. Weak sunlight drifted down on her and a brittle wind blew the burned remains of the familiar place, making her shiver. _Why am I back here? I promised myself I would never come here again!

_"Raelin? Raelin, is that you?"_

_ "Ryder?" Her eyes widened when she saw the boy making his way through the grass. "Is it really you?"_

_ "Yeah, it's me. But Raelin, why are you here? You should know better than to come back to this place."_

_ "I…I didn't come here," she stammered. "But I'm glad to see you." She hugged him tightly and he hugged back, but pushed her away gently after a few seconds._

_ "You shouldn't be here, Raelin."_

_ "Huh?" She pulled away, staring at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_ "After the destruction that you caused, no one wants you back here."_

_ "But I…I didn't _mean _for that to happen! I just made a mistake! Besides, you're alive!"_

_ "You need to leave." He backed away from her, eyes glinting dark like his hair._

_ "Ryder, wait, please!" She reached out a hand, but he backed out of her reach._

_ "It was all your fault, Raelin." Smoke obscured her vision of him. _

_ "Ember?" she screamed, but her beloved friend wasn't there. Screams echoed far away. She sucked in a breath in recognition and began to cough._

All your fault. All your fault. _Ryder's words echoed around her as the flames rose up in a circle, just like the last night she had seen him. She ran, tears falling, not looking back._

_**All your fault.**_

"Ryder!" Her eyes flew open as she called out his name. But instead of seeing his familiar face, she was staring up into the faces of three strangers.

"Easy!" said the oldest, a tall young man with spiky brown hair. He pushed her down by the shoulder gently. She struggled but didn't have the energy to fight for long and instead dropped back on the sleeping bag. "You've gotta rest. You were hurt pretty bad."

"Wha—?" She tried to move again and felt pain shoot up through her side. Gasping, she realized that she had received physical wounds from her fall. "Where—where am I? Who are you?"

"Relax," said the boy on her left. "We're friends." He had messy black hair and brown eyes. Somehow, he reminded her of Ryder. "My name's Ash and that's Brock." He pointed to the young man.

"My name's Misty," said the red-haired girl sitting beside Ash. She smiled at Raelin kindly.

Raelin stayed quiet, even though she knew what they were expecting. She started up again when she realized there was someone missing. "Where's Emberstep?"

"Who?" Misty asked.

"Ember! My Mightyena. Where is she?" A yip turned her attention to the trees. "Ember!" She stood and tried to run to her Pokémon, but her legs folded underneath her. Brock and Ash held her up. She looked up from behind the curtain of black hair as Ember approached. _'Are these people safe?'_

As far as I can tell. Go ahead and tell them your name—nothing else, though.

_'Duh.'_ "It looks like you healed Ember up pretty well." She reached out a hand to rumple her Mightyena's thick fur.

"Her wounds weren't very bad," said Brock as he and Ash led the girl back to the sleeping bag. "Wish I could say the same for you though. What exactly happened?"

"I…don't know," she answered half-truthfully. "I just remember getting really hurt and then blacking out…" That brought to mind her dream. She shivered and dropped down wearily on the sleeping bag. "Sorry. My name's Raelin." She looked around the small campsite. The rest of the sleeping bags were set up underneath a small grotto that was surrounded by clumps of trees. A Pikachu and a Togepi were playing together on the grass. _'Kinda like how Ryder's Vulpix and my Ember played together…'_

"So where do you live?" Ash was asking her.

"Uh…in Sinnoh," she lied. "Yeah, I've been traveling for a while and thought I'd come here to Johto…" A low growl from Ember warned her to stop talking. "Anyway, um…I don't think I can travel alone like this." She gestured at herself, cringing internally. She couldn't believe what she was about to ask. "Do you think I could travel with you guys for a few days, until we reach the next town?"

"Well, couldn't you get into trouble with your parents?"

"No, they—"

"Did someone say trouble?" asked a female voice.

"They did, so make it double," her partner answered.

"Oh, great, this again," muttered Ash, standing up.

"To protect the world from devastation." A young man and woman came into sight in a Meowth-shaped balloon.

"To unite all peoples within our nation." The two turned in sync to the group.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love," said the woman, smirking.

"To extend our reach to the stars above." They both struck a pose.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!" Jessie held out a hand and James used her as a balance to complete their final pose.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Waa-bu—"

"Get your own line! Meowth, that's right!" Meowth jumped up, shoving the blue Pokémon over and taking his spot in the motto.

"Want do you losers want this time?"

"What we always want!" replied Jessie. "We want your Pikachu!"

"And we're going to get it, too," said James in perfect succession.

"Keep dreaming! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pika-chuu!" The yellow rodent leapt from Ash's shoulder and sent a bolt of electricity at Team Rocket. The electricity buzzed and deflected off the balloon.

"Ha, ha!" Jessie called as James reached out and caught Pikachu. "Nice try, twerp, but we counted on your little electric attacks."

"Betcha didn't count on this!" came a voice from behind the three.

"Gary?" exclaimed Ash.

The brunette boy acknowledged him with a nod before turning back to the thieves. "Nidoqueen, go!" He threw a Pokéball out and his Nidoqueen was released. "Nidoqueen, use Mega Punch and send Team Rocket flying!"

"Nido! Nido-queen!" White light surrounded the Nidoqueen's armored hand as she pulled back for a punch.

Ash darted forward and caught Pikachu as it fell. "Pikachu! You okay, buddy?"

"Pika!"

"Well, at least this time it wasn't the _usual _twerps who sent us off," said James as he and his team members flew through the air.

"No, it was the cool twerp this time," said Meowth.

"Waa-buffet!" said the blue Pokémon, popping out from its ball.

"Oh, all of you shut up!" cried Jessie.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

"Thank goodness for that," said Misty, watching the trio disappear.

"Hey, Gary!" Ash called. Gary waved.

Even though Ember was mentally laughing at her Trainer, Raelin was panicking. If Gary saw her, she would never hear the end of it from him. Maybe she could sneak behind a tree and he wouldn't see her…

"Raelin?"

She glanced up and immediately ducked her head again. _'No. Oh, no! He saw me!'_

Would you relax? You're acting like a love-struck Lapras!

_'Huh?'_

Just stop acting silly!

"Raelin? Is that you?" Gary was standing a few feet from the group now.

She looked up from behind her curtain of hair, green eyes peering out. "Yeah. Hey, Gary."

"Wait, you two _know_ each other?" Ash said, glancing between the two.

Gary nodded while Raelin remained silent. "Mm-hm. We met not too long ago." He chuckled. "Told ya you'd run into trouble, Rae. You should've listened to me."

"And I _told_ you: _don't_ call me that!" She stood up and automatically slid into a fighting stance. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Another smug-sounding chuckle. "Ease up. I'm on my way to Blackthorn City."

"So are we," said Ash from behind Raelin.

"Huh. How convenient." She didn't bother to hide her annoyance.

"Yeah, it really is." He hadn't missed her sarcasm. "Hey, since we're going in the same direction, why don't we travel together?" He held back a smile when Raelin glared.

"I'm fine with it," Ash said.

"Okay with me," said Brock. The three boys looked at Misty.

"Oh, all right," Misty agreed. "Raelin?"

"Hmph." She turned away. "Don't expect me to talk to you."

Gary smirked. "I feel welcome already."

All through dinner, Raelin tried her best to ignore Gary. She couldn't help but glance over a few times—and _almost_ regretted it. There was something she saw in his gaze that made her feel dizzy and she had a hard time looking away. _'Cut it out! He's _trying i_to make you nervous.'_

"You've been a little quiet, Rae."

Her head flicked up at the sound of his voice. He was sitting beside her on the grass now, while the rest of the group was still sitting near the fire, out of earshot. "Maybe I'm thinking. Something I'm capable of, unlike you."

"Ouch!" he laughed. "You must be feeling better. That almost hurt."

"Ha, ha," she mono-toned. "What do you want?"

"Why were you acting weird the last time I saw you?"

Well, that was unexpected. "I…well, I told you. I don't like being civilized." She flashed him a narrow-eyed smirk that, she knew from experience, made her look dangerous.

"Uh-uh. That isn't it." He shook his head, dark eyes unusually serious and kind. "Maybe it's just they way you are, but I get the feeling that you hide a lot from everyone."

"You don't know me." She looked away, staring at the fading purple streaks in the sky.

"Yeah, maybe I don't." His voice was softer now. "But I really would like to know you, Raelin." She could feel warmth at her side and realized he'd put a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head just a little in his direction. His last words were soft, but held the familiar mocking tone. "See you in the morning." Then the warmth was gone and the summer air suddenly seemed a little cooler than before.

Even after everyone else was asleep, Raelin's thoughts kept her up. She stared up at the moon, hoping the bright light would block out her last dream.

_'I shouldn't have gotten so upset. Ryder would never say something like that to me. He'd hug me and tell me how happy he was that I'd come home.'_ She turned over on her side and tucked her hands under her head. _'As long as I don't tell anyone about what happened, I'll be fine…'_ She inhaled and exhaled slowly, beginning to drift off. _'Even if they do ask me questions, there isn't much I can tell them. Imagine what Gary would think…'_ She didn't bother to wonder why she cared so much.

**Yes, Raelin's past as well as a few other things will be revealed later on. **

**The pendant Ember had was the white half of a yin yang pendant, just so you know. :)**

**R & R please!**

**~ DarkBloodbender937**


	3. Training Time

_**I only own Raelin and Emberstep. I wish I owned Gary or Ash, but sadly I don't.**_

**-..-..-..-..-..-..-**

Would you relax? That red-furred human keeps giving you looks.

If it hadn't looked suspicious, Raelin would have been pacing. _'I'm sorry! It's just, he was acting so weird last night and—'_

Don't pay attention to it. He was trying to make you nervous, remember?

_'Yeah, but no human has ever been able to do that.'_ She fidgeted with a strand of her dark hair nervously, something she rarely did._ 'Maybe he's different…'_

Don't start that! I hate to remind you of what happened last time you trusted a stranger, but—

_'Yeah. I remember.'_

The Mightyena cringed when she heard the bitterness in her thoughts. Her head came up from her paws. Hm. He's headed this way.

_'Leave him to me.'_ She stood and faced Gary, watching as he approached. "What do you want?"

"Turn the ego down a little," he said, stopping and raising an eyebrow. "Just because I'm over here doesn't mean I want to talk to you." Chuckling at her angry expression, he called over her shoulder, "Hey, Ash! Up for a battle?"

The boy in question looked up from glancing over his badges. He stood and nodded, a confident smile lighting his face. "Sure. This'll help me get ready for my upcoming Gym match."

Both boys sent out their first Pokémon. Brock and Misty looked on in interest; Raelin tried to act indifferent.

For a while, the two boys were evenly matched. One Pokémon would be defeated, they would send out another and take out their opponent; trading blows. But just when it looked like Ash was going to win, one Fire Blast from Arcanine tilted the battle in Gary's favor.

Raelin glanced over. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but route for Gary—inside her head. When Gary won, he turned to her, grinning. After a moment of eye contact, his smirk got a little bigger, before he turned to Ash. She blinked and realized she was smiling. She quickly composed her face into a blank look before he turned.

"Did pretty well, didn't I?" Gary asked, putting his hands in his jacket pockets as he strolled over.

She snorted and laughed. He scowled.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, scoffing. "I'm just savoring the hypocrisy, Mr. Egomaniac."

His eyebrows pushed together thoughtfully. "You know, you have a lot of comebacks for someone who doesn't speak much."

"It's a gift."

"I've noticed."

With the conversation effectively over, Raelin was left feeling more than a little awkward. Gary was studying her again, like she was a puzzle he needed to solve. She dropped her head and suddenly became very interested in her sneakers. And still, he wouldn't leave. She could feel his dark eyes trained on her intently. She heard him take a few steps closer.

"What's that mark on your face?"

She froze. Her head came up slightly to meet his eyes and she immediately severed the contact, sucking in a breath. "It's nothing," she mumbled.

"Doesn't look like nothing. What, is it a tattoo or something?"

"None of your business." Her reply was calm and even as she brought her head back up to glare at him. Gary stared back, just as determined. At last, she turned and called, "Ember!" Her friend looked up and bounded over. "Let's go practice some attacks, okay?" Ember barked.

Gary eyed the two. His eyes narrowed minimally. "Want me to come with you?" He flashed her a bright smile and winked. "We could practice together."

"Sorry. It's a closed practice."

"Well, maybe you could get me a pass in? I hear the Trainer's cute."

_'Wh-what?'_ She knew she was blushing as she answered, putting as much contempt in her voice as she could, "Are we done here?"

"I suppose. 'Later." He strode off, hiding a smile.

Wow. He's not very subtle about liking you, is he?

_'_What _are you _talking_ about?'_ She strode angrily into the trees, away from the rest of the group.

He likes you. You noticed that. And you like him too, don't you?

"Are you kidding?" She spoke aloud, now that she was out of earshot of the others. "He's an annoying, swaggering idiot who thinks he's the best thing to ever happen to the world. But he's not. And I—"

The Mightyena barked out a chuckle. Do you honestly think you can fool me? We share a mind, Night-Sister.

She stopped and turned to her friend, emphasizing every word. "I don't like him."

Ember's red eyes softened. Her voice whispered through Raelin's head. With things like this, it takes time for your mind to catch up to your heart.

The only sounds to be heard for several seconds were the calls of the birds in the trees. At last, Raelin huffed and said, "Let's start practicing." She took her place beside Ember.

Ember shook her head sharply, causing her ruff of black fur to scatter out. A faint purple glow surrounded her body. Knife Glint first?

_'You know it.'_ She closed her eyes and pictured her companion in her head, focusing on the ebbing light. Focus on the rhythm. Make it stronger. It wasn't even a conscious thought — it was something she _felt_, in her body and heart. Her heartbeat sped, the pulsing light slowed. Raelin took a deep breath, feeling both her and Ember's heartbeats match. She felt some of the light move to her own hands. Keep it steady…Now!

The light morphed, turned silver, wavered. Ember growled. Raelin eyes flashed open. She ducked forward swiftly, moving as if she were throwing something. The light grew and followed her movements, glinting knife-bright as it slashed the wood.

Raelin inhaled and exhaled deeply. She walked over to the tree in an almost dream-like state. She ran her fingers along the shallow gashes that barely showed. Beside her, Ember huffed.

Not enough power?

_'Not _nearly _enough.'_

Distracted? Perhaps by a certain boy…?

The brief flux of power she had felt was enough to restore her (relatively) good mood. _'Shut up.'_ She said it with good humor._ 'I'm just a little tired. Neither of us have recovered fully from the other day, have we?'_

No. But I'll give the next one my all.

_'Then so will I.'_ She was back in her stance in a few moments. Ember padded over. _'Just concentrate. Find the rhythm and work with it.'_

And stop psyching yourself out!

_'Got it.'_ She was in full-on partner mode now, sweeping out all insignificant details—specifically those of a certain boy—from her mind. She took in another deep breath, letting the cool air clear her head.

The beat of the light had picked up, erratic and unfocused. She reached out with her hand and mind, twisting the light. There was a crackling noise in her head, as if the light was too brittle to bend. She gritted her teeth, forcing the light into a blade shape. Her heartbeat was racing, making her hands shake and her head bob. The blade flickered, almost disappeared as she struggled to gain control of the weapon. Using every bit of willpower she had, she forced the blade into a sharp point.

The moment she felt the giant pulse of power, she threw it. A thousand shards flew out, glittering for only a brief second before hitting the target with deadly force.

It was a few seconds before her vision cleared. She panted and stared at the marks, tracing them for the second time—marks that were as deep as the width of her finger. _Power…_

"Raelin?"

Her breath caught in her throat. Behind her, Ember growled. Slowly, she turned. Her stomach lurched sickeningly.

Gary was standing between the trees, looking thoroughly stunned.

…**-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…**

"Really, the more I think about it, the more I wonder…We don't even really know where she's from, do we?"

"She told us she was from Sinnoh, right? That counts."

"Well, maybe…" Misty frowned. "But she could've been lying. You've gotta admit, there's something weird about her."

Ash grinned. "Well, there's something weird about you and Brock and I still hang out with you two—Aah!" He jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding the punch she aimed at him.

"Take that back, now!" She grabbed for him again.

"Okay, okay!" When she stopped trying to hit him, he took the pause to straighten his jacket, which had gotten skewed during the girl's attack. "Jeez. You didn't react like that when she first asked to come along with us. Or when Gary started traveling with us, either."

Ignoring this fact, Misty said, "Don't you think she's just a little bit strange?"

"Not really. What's strange is the fact that Gary's disappeared along with her."

Misty glowered. "And you care about her disappearing with Gary…why?"

"I don't." Now he was frowning too, trying to figure out his best friend's suspicion. "But she's hurt still and—"

"I'm sure Gary can take care of her," she interrupted. She looked up at the sky for a moment. "So, are you sure she's not suspicious? At all?"

Ash shook his head and began to head towards Brock. "Careful, Misty. It sounds like you're jealous or something."

She blinked rapidly. "I-I'm not jealous of anyone!" Ash nodded in response, looking as if he believed her. Misty flopped down onto the grass and began to pick at the little green blades. Ash hadn't seemed smug when he'd warned her against being jealous—in fact, he had seemed pretty serious about it. Just like Ash to not take the hint, Misty thought, pulling several blades of grass up fiercely. But I'm _not_ jealous, because that girl _doesn't_ like him.

Misty glanced up. Gary wasn't back yet. Maybe those two liked each other?

She could only hope.

…**-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…**

"Raelin?" Gary took two steps toward her, thought better of it, and stopped. Instead, he maintained a calm voice and asked, "What are you doing?"

Feeling trapped, Raelin spat, "What are _you_ doing? I told you not to follow me!"

"You told me I couldn't practice with you. You never said I couldn't follow you." His self-satisfied attitude was back in place, but she could hear the slight tremor in his voice. He was afraid. Good.

"Well, like I said, you aren't invited. So leave. Now."

"What were you doing?" he asked again, still not moving.

"Nothing." She instantly knew it was the wrong thing to say.

"That was not nothing. That looked like…" He paused, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "A Pokémon attack or something." He moved forward until he was standing barely two feet away. "What _was_ that?"

"I don't have to tell you everything. Especially not when you're being so annoying. Now shut up and leave."

He didn't. He stared at her with an almost pleading look in his eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him and his gaze shifted to the left. His mouth dropped open slightly and Raelin felt a throb of horror when he pushed past her. She turned, feeling her stomach twist as she watched him step next to the tree. His fingers traced the deep slashes in the wood and his lips moved soundlessly, mouthing "Oh my—". He turned back to Raelin, eyes round with alarm. "What did you do?" he whispered.

She closed her eyes briefly, feeling sick. Her voice was low, almost regretful when she replied, "I told you that you didn't want to get involved with me. I'm not going to tell you anything. You'll only be a liability."

"What?" She opened her eyes and tensed. He was less than a foot in front of her now, looking confused. "Raelin. I don't care what's going on. I just want you to trust me."

"I can't do that. You're wasting your time. And I'm leaving."

"You think I'm just giving up that easily?" He reached out and caught her wrist.

She growled, annoyed. "Ember." Ember's hackles were up and she stepped between the two. Gary let go of her wrist and backed away a few steps, not willing to take on the protective Mightyena. He watched Raelin and Ember leave together. After a moment of hesitation, he followed after.

She didn't talk to him at all that night, didn't even look his way. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him and Ash trade looks across the campfire. Once, Ash mouthed, 'what happened?' but Gary ignored him. Ember tried to talk to her a couple of times, but Raelin was feeling completely exhausted, both physically and mentally—using her powers usually tired her out quickly—so she wasn't in the mood to talk with her friend.

She fell asleep that night with old fears renewed, fears she hadn't had since that accident, 5 months ago. The fear of being discovered.

**-..-..-..-..-..-..-**

**Uh-oh. I liked writing this one, especially Gary's reactions. **

**And Misty's jealous *giggle* ****I haven't really been able to write it clearly, but in my mind, Raelin pretty much only talks to Ash (when she does talk) because he's the only who doesn't annoy her. Which ticks Misty off because she (Misty) thinks Raelin's paying special attention to him.**

**Please review! :)**

**~ DarkBloodbender937**


	4. Strange

**Thank you to all who reviewed, especially Templar of Honor for the extremely helpful input. :)**

**My friend gave me an idea for this chapter and I couldn't resist. Hope you enjoy! **

Miraculously, Raelin didn't have nightmares that night. It was, admittedly, a little weird, she thought, pulling her hair back into a long ponytail. But she wasn't going to tempt fate.

They started off early that day. Raelin, determined to do anything to tick Gary off, never once said a word to him, but instead had light conversations with Brock, Ash, and Misty as they walked. Though the redhead still acted a little off-handed, Brock and Ash were quite happily chatting away. Raelin couldn't help but feel a small glow of satisfaction when she saw Gary glaring at her—he'd obviously caught on to her plan. Oddly enough, it faded quickly when she saw him frown and look away.

At lunch, they overheard two Trainers talking about the battle park near the center of the town. Ash immediately committed to going and the others agreed quickly.

After they had passed through the gates and registered, Ash glanced around the outdoor area. The park had a good amount of Trainers, most of them engaged in battles. He looked to his right. Underneath a tree sat a young girl with long, wavy crimson hair. Her eyes were closed, her legs were crossed, and she was leaning against the tree, as if she were resting. A Pidgeot sat next to her, wings folded and eyes closed. As they passed, the girl opened her eyes and asked excitedly, "Ash? Do you want to have a battle with me?"

He blinked and fell backward in surprise. "H-how do you know my name?"

The girl looked confused. "What a silly question!" she said, now talking to her Pidgeot. She stood, graceful despite her lanky form. "My name's Anika. There. Now that we're properly introduced, would you please answer my question?"

"Maybe you should answer _my_ question," came a voice from behind the tree. Jessie stepped out. "James, do you think they should prepare for trouble?"

"I do and let's make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of true and love!"

"To extend our reach to the—"

"Hey, you're cute!" Anika cut off the motto by rushing up to the purple-haired Team Rocket member. She grinned and swiped the rose out of his hand. "Oh, and you even got me a _flower_! That's so sweet, James!"

James made a sputtering noise. "How do you know my name?"

"Your girlfriend said it, silly!" Anika giggled.

Both Team Rocket members reacted at the same time. Jessie shouted, "I don't love James!" while James exclaimed, "She's not my girlfriend!"

"She's not?" Anika asked. "Great! Then maybe I can be!" She clung to him happily, giggling. "We'll make such a great couple! You can meditate with me and Pidgeot and we can battle other couples! It'll be so much fun!"

"Now wait a minute sister!" Jessie stepped forward, glaring. "James is a Team Rocket member! He would never date someone outside of Team Rocket, much less some scrawny Trainer! Isn't that right, James?"

"Well, I, uh…" he stammered when Jessie turned on him.

"I'll be your boyfriend if he doesn't want to be!" exclaimed Brock suddenly, darting forward to take Anika's hand. "My names Brock and I think we could be the greatest team of Trainers ever!"

She studied him thoughtfully. "Do you have a flower for me?"

"Huh? Uh, no."

"Then sorry, Brock. We can't be together." She turned away from Brock, whose mouth had dropped open in disbelief.

"B-but…" he stuttered. "Ow! Hey!" Misty was pulling him away by the ear.

"The girl said no, Brock. Let's go."

"Hey, what about Ash? He doesn't have a girlfriend." Gary had decided to get in on the game. Ash shot a glare at him.

"Oh, really?" Anika studied the increasingly nervous Trainer and his Pikachu. She nodded. "Hm. You'll do."

"Oh, no, he won't!" Misty shoved Ash back and stood in front of him, causing Pikachu to lose balance on the boy's shoulder and jump quickly down.

Anika tilted her head to the side and only seemed quaint and confused. "Why? Is he already your boyfriend?"

"WHAT?" Misty's face reddened. "N-no!"

"Misty's not—" Ash began.

"Uh, guys?" Brock asked.

"Well, if you're not his girlfriend, what are you?" Anika asked.

"His coach and his _friend_!" Misty shot back.

"You guys seem pretty close to me. Are you _sure_ she's not your girlfriend?"

"No, she's not!" Ash exclaimed, turning red.

"Guys?"

"Then I don't see why I can't have him," said Anika in a pouting sort of voice.

"You can't because I say so!" said Misty, stepping right up to the girl. "And besides, he has lots of training to do so—"

"Guys!"

"What?" the whole group asked, turning simultaneously to Brock.

"I think we've got a problem." He pointed up. The familiar shape of the Meowth balloon was rising over the trees. Several Trainers in the park were gawking at it.

"Tanks fo' da easy snag!" Meowth called down to them, laughing. He held up a glass case, which contained the yellow mouse Pokémon.

"No way!" Ash fumbled for a pokéball. Before he could send out a Pokémon, Raelin had jumped into action.

"Ember, use Hidden Power!"

White rings swirled around Ember's body, causing Team Rocket's balloon to glow and rock back and forth. Meowth lost hold of the case containing Pikachu and it fell toward the ground. Raelin darted forward and caught Pikachu. "All right, Ember, send them flying!" Ember barked and swished her tail. The light got brighter and the balloon was suddenly flung far off, with the cries of Team Rocket following it.

"Do they always show up like that?" asked Gary, watching the balloon disappear.

"Pretty much," said Ash with a nod.

Raelin sighed. "How do you put up with that? Here, Ash." She held Pikachu out.

Ash smiled and took his Pokémon "Thanks. Are you okay, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" he replied, scampering up to his perch on his Trainer's shoulder.

Ash smiled. "Awesome! And now I'm ready for that battle, so—Aah!" He turned to find that Anika was already well down the path of the park, almost out of sight. Confused, he called, "Hey, wait, what about our battle?"

"What about our future?" Brock wailed.

"Oh, both of you give it a rest!" Misty said, dragging the pair backwards.

Gary snickered. "Oh well. Let's go, guys."

As the Trainers exited the park, Raelin caught a glimmer of yellow flash in the hedge. She stopped suddenly. Ash, who was only a step or two in front of her, paused and looked back. "What?" he asked, seeing the startled expression on her face.

Raelin's eyes scanned the other bushes. Nothing abnormal. But…

Ember barked. Something's there.

Ash was beside her now, staring into the hedge curiously. "Hey…what is that?" He frowned. "It's gone. I saw it for a second and now it's gone."

"It was probably some wild Pokémon that wandered in here," Raelin told him, noticing his confused look. "Come on." She ran to catch up with the others at the gate. Ash had no choice but to follow.

"Kind of a shame, if you ask me," joked Gary later as they headed for the Pokécenter. "She was cute."

"She was _awesome_," Brock fawned. He received a whack from Misty and immediately shut up.

"You didn't need to get involved in that," Ash said moodily to Gary, shrugging a shoulder to adjust his backpack strap.

"Why? You have no idea how hard it was to keep from laughing when she asked if you and Misty were going out." He chuckled, remembering.

"That girl was crazy," said Misty, still annoyed. "Who could think that I would ever go out with _Ash_?" Even as she said it, her cheeks tinged pink. She looked away and raised her chin to appear lofty.

"Gee, thanks," muttered Ash sourly.

"Sounds like someone's bitter," laughed Gary.

"We are not!" Both looked at each other furiously and continued to argue.

Raelin slowed, allowing the group to get farther ahead so she could think. She directed her thoughts to Ember. _'What do you think that thing was?'_

"So what were you and Ash talking about?" Gary had slowed too, matching her pace.

So much for talking with Ember. She glanced sideways at him. He was looking ahead as he walked, hands in his pockets. The perfect picture of someone who didn't really care about what he was talking about. But she could see that the corners of his mouth had turned down.

"We saw something in the bushes. That's all."

"Hm. Maybe you are better off not speaking. You're a terrible liar."

"I'm not lying! I saw something in the hedge and Ash came over to look too."

"Hm. So what was it?"

"Not sure. Might've just been a Pokémon."

"Lots of wild Pokémon wandering around here, so that's probably right." Gary looked up as they neared the rest of the group. "And besides," he continued in a lower voice, "even if it _was_ a big bad monster, Umbreon and I would be able to protect you."

"Yeah. Sure." Deciding to simply dismiss his attitude, she joined the others. Gary was close behind. They all entered the Pokémon Center, Ash and Misty still arguing.

Ember paused before following her Trainer. She looked back, uneasy at the shifting she heard behind her. She couldn't see anything wrong, but she _knew_ something was lurking. A soft growl rumbled from her throat—just in case. She'd mention her suspicions to Raelin the first chance she got, but for now, at least they were relatively safe. Ember ducked through the doors, which swung securely shut behind her.

Something shifted between the trees. A shadow moved, barely discernible from the dusky light surrounding it. A feral growl issued from between the thick tree trunks before slowly fading away. In an instant, the shadows were still and the creature was gone.

**I'm going to start bringing in plot points, but it's going to take a couple of chapters to really get it rolling. This chapter is (mainly) some goofy stuff. I couldn't resist putting in some ship-tease. Ash & Misty's "fights" are the best, aren't they? *giggle***

**Sorry about the long pause. The next few chapters are giving me problems. . But I wanted to have something up because I'm going to be maxed out for the next few weeks.**

**I only own Raelin, Emberstep, and Anika **

**Read & Review is appreciated! :)**

**Peace! ~****DarkBloodbender937**


	5. Prepare for Trouble

**Hello, all!**

**Sorry for the pause, writer's block always seems to strike at the WORST times. **

**I hope all of you will enjoy this chapter, because I know I had fun writing it! :)**

"You ready to see Claire again, Pikachu?" Ash asked his friend two days later. They were setting a moderate pace in the direction of the city's Gym.

"Pika!" the Pokemon said from his Trainer's shoulder.

"So Claire is the leader of the Blackthorn City Gym, huh?" Raelin asked. "What kind of Pokemon does she use?"

"Dragon type," said Brock, "and tough to beat, too."

"Hm. Maybe I could challenge her," she mumbled, glancing at her partner. "My team and I could use some practice."

"Not much, from what I've seen," said Gary. He was walking ahead of her, in the middle of the group, and glanced behind at her when he finished speaking. It was an obvious sort of compliment, one he hoped would get through to the stubborn girl. A corner of her mouth turned up a little, but her eyebrows pulled together in an expression of confusion. He looked ahead again, not allowing her to see the brief smile on his face. He tuned out his friends' conversation, thinking hard.

It was true that he flirted with a lot of girls. They just sort of naturally flocked to him-he'd even spent a portion of his journey with a gaggle of cheerleaders following him around. That had been what, a year ago? Two? He shook his head with an almost self-admiring smile.

The thing was, he really did like this girl, no matter how many times she threw sarcastic remarks at him. Maybe that was what he liked-after all, he'd never had much of a conversation with those other girls. Maybe it was his own wishful thinking, but he thought she liked him the way he liked her. Then again, girls were hard to figure out at any given time-

He was abruptly shaken out of his thoughts by their arrival at Claire's Gym. Ash called out, "Hello? Is Claire here?"

The door of the Gym opened, revealing a young man with messy red hair and worried hazel eyes. "Yes?" he asked, frowning at them.

Ash stepped to the front of the group. "Hi. My name's Ash Ketchum. My friends and I are here to see Claire."

"I'm sorry, but Miss Claire doesn't have time for any battles at the moment. You'll have to come back later if you want a badge." He started to close the door, but Ash spoke up quickly.

"Oh, I'm not looking for a Gym match. We're old friends." He smiled, but the man at the door only seemed more jittery.

"We're about to close the Gym. No matches today. Sorry." With that, he shut the door in their faces. not seeming sorry at all.

"Hey, wait a second!" Ash tugged at the handle, but wasn't able to open the door again. He turned to look at his friends and made a face. "That was...weird."

"No kidding," said Raelin, crossing her arms over her chest. The corners of her mouth turned down-Gary could tell she'd been looking forward to the match.

"Why'd he say that they're closing the Gym?" he wondered. "It's not even noon. Something must be going on."

"Let's head back into town and ask around," Misty suggested.

When they arrived back in town, all of the stores seemed to be closed up. There were no people on the sidewalks and nothing stirred in the trees.

"I don't understand." Ash stared around at the abandoned streets. "There were people here just this morning."

"Something weird is definitely going on," said Gary, jumping down from the stoop of one of the houses. "No one's even answering the door."

"Let's go to the Pokemon Center. Maybe Nurse Joy will know what's going on."

Lucky for them, the Center was still open. "Hello?" Ash called as they group walked in. There was a small crowd of Trainers cluttering the lobby, most of whom were looking around anxiously. Ash glanced at them before walking up to the counter. "Hi, Nurse Joy."

"Hello," she greeted them. "I'll be with you in just a moment." She turned back to the other Trainer standing by the counter. "I'm really very sorry for the inconvenience, but there's nothing much I can do until the police find any more clues."

"So they still have no idea who's behind the kidnappings?" the boy asked, and the Poliwag in his arms trilled worriedly.

"Kidnappings?" Ash whispered to his friends, who simply shrugged or looked confused.

"Unfortunately, no. I assume you heard the warnings though?"

"Yeah. I wanted to get Poliwag checked out though. It got pretty worn out from a battle earlier. Think you could take care of it?"

"Of course." The boy returned the Poliwag to its pokeball and handed it over with the rest. As he moved away with a 'thank you', Ash took his place at the counter.

"Hi, Nurse Joy. Did I just hear something about a kidnapping?"

"Oh. I assumed everyone would already know..." She seemed a little uncertain, as if she thought they were trying to trick her.

"We're from out of town," he explained.

"Oh. Well, I'm not really supposed to say anything, but since you are visiting here, you should probably know..." She paused for a moment, like she was trying to choose her words carefully. At last she said, in a bit of a rush, "A few days ago, a boy disappeared from a nearby town. And this morning, a couple discovered their five-year-old daughter had been taken in the park while their backs were turned. The police are sure the two disappearances are related. And they're pretty sure both were taken by force."

"Oh." Ash blinked. "So that's why everything's quiet around here." It wasn't a question, but Nurse Joy answered anyway.

"Yes. Everyone's been advised to either stay home for now or stay here at the Center. At least until the police can find any clues as to who's behind this. And I suggest you all do the same." She frowned, clearly feeling that she'd said too much. "Do your Pokemon need resting?"

"Um, no, they're fine. Thank you." He smiled at Nurse Joy and motioned to the others. The group moved out of earshot of the pink-haired nurse.

"_Kidnappings_?" repeated Misty nervously as the five huddled together.

"That _does_ explain all the weird behavior this morning," Gary mused quietly.

"What about Claire not being available?" Brock asked.

"Maybe she's somehow involved in the investigation?"

After a short pause, Ash piped up with a curious, "Well?"

"Well _what_?" Misty responded, not in the mood to try and decipher another one of her friend's schemes.

"What do you guys say, should we do a little investigating of our own?" he asked, looking around at them.

"Ash, I don't know. I mean, this seems like something the police should handle, doesn't it?"

"Oh, come one. We've done this sort of thing before!"

"He's got a point," Brock muttered. "Plus, I bet it'll impress Nurse Joy!" he added, which earned him a glare from the redhead.

"You're supposed to be the mature one!" she reprimanded, but nevertheless gave a very slight nod to Ash, who grinned.

"I know I'm gonna regret this," sighed Gary. "It's a dumb idea," he told Ash, who gave him a look that said 'shut up', and he continued, "But I'm in."

"I'm game for a little adventure," Raelin said. Ember gave a half-growl, half-bark of approval.

Ash pumped his fist in the air. "Then let's do it!"

Gary held up a hand. "If you make us do that 'all in' handshake thing, I swear I'll hit you."

Raelin held back a laugh. This was going to be an interesting day.

Anika skipped down the path, excited. She turned and walked backwards for a moment, calling to her friend. "Come on, Pidgeot!"

"Pidge, pidgeot!" the bird Pokemon trilled, hopping quickly up to her.

"Nah, we don't need to go all the way back. We just need to tell Cameron and then he'll come up with a plan. You know him, he likes to take charge and impress."

"Pidgeot-ot!" it chuckled in agreement.

Ten minutes of walking later, they had arrived at their destination.

From the exterior, it appeared to be an ordinary house. The three levels were painted in two different shades of yellow and trimmed with white. Flower boxes rested on the windowsills, filled with an assortment of the aromatic plants. The wooden gate creaked as she opened it and stepped onto the pathway. A fountain stood a few feet from one of the first-level windows, adding a bubbling music to the quiet summer day.

Anika knocked on the painted door three times. After a minute of waiting, the door opened to reveal a girl with chin length green hair dressed in jeans and a lavender T-shirt. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, grey eyes scrutinizing the girl on the doorstep with familiarity. "Hey, Anika. You're back already?"

"Well, I was already in the area-sort of. Why are you here, Janet? I thought you and your partner were supposed to be over in the Hoenn region."

"Jackson and I got a call from the base about a week ago," the girl said, leaning against the door frame. "Something about a runaway herd of Tauros. Like we have nothing better to do than to chase down those things _again_." She shook her head once. "Anyway, I assume you came here to meet up with Cameron?"

Anika nodded, stepping across the doorway into the cool interior of the house. "Yeah. I found something really cool and wanted to show him."

Janet cocked an eyebrow, not quite sure about her friend's intentions. "Well, it better be something good. He's upstairs in the computer room and I'm sure he doesn't want to be bothered."

"Oh, he's _always_ working at the computer. He'll just have to take a little break, that's all!" Anika chirped, bouncing up the stairs. Pidgeot followed suit. Janet stared after them and then walked away, shaking her head.

The third floor hallway branched off in several parts, but Anika headed straight. She knocked on the door that was at the end of the corridor, but didn't bother to wait for Cameron's okay-she knew he wouldn't give one anyway. She swung the door open with a cheery greeting. "Hey, Cameron!" The sound of typing was the only response she got as she closed the door. "You'll never guess what happened today!" she sang, dancing around stacks of textbooks and papers.

"You actually shut up for more than three seconds?" Cameron asked sarcastically, not taking his eyes from the screen. He tapped out another sentence.

She rolled her eyes. "Nope! Something better!"

"It had better be good, because you're interrupting some important research."

"Janet already told me...Hey, is that stuff for our mission?" She peered over his shoulder and then reached for the notebook sitting on the desk.

Cameron spun his chair around and snatched the notebook from her hands. "If you don't tell me what you're going on about in the next three seconds, I'm going to set my Haunter on you." His violet eyes glared at her icily from under a shock of sand-colored hair.

"Okay, okay! Arceus, you're impatient!" she huffed. She brushed a wavy auburn tendril out of her face and took a breath to make things dramatic. "You remember that girl that escaped months ago? The one who was involved with Project 76?"

He grimaced in what seemed to be annoyance. "The one with a serious attitude problem? Yeah. What about her?"

"I saw her at the park a few days ago!"

Cameron glared. "Oh _please_, Anika. If you're going to try and make up stories, at least make them believable."

"But I _saw_ her!" She threw her hands up in exasperation, as if that would confirm her story.

"I'm sure you did." His voice was patronizing.

"Jessie and James were there, too."

"They show up everywhere. And besides, we've got people looking for her already."

"Yeah, in the wrong region," Anika retorted. Cameron gave an annoyed grunt and swiveled his chair around to view the computer. She bit her lip for a moment and then blurted, "She had a Mightyena with her. She called it Ember."

His hands froze on the keyboard. He turned his chair half-way around, frowning. "That wasn't on the description they gave us." Anika nodded enthusiastically, hair bouncing. He looked her up and down, eyes narrow. "All right, fine. What _exactly_ did she look like?" The paper had described the escapee simply so he'd know if she was just quoting from it.

"She had really long black hair, straight down to her waist. She had tan-ish skin and really cool green eyes-like, the kind of green that's really deep and bright at the same time. She was wearing a black T-shirt, sneakers, and jeans, just like that paper said, but the mark was below her _left_ eye, not her right. And get this-_she had the aura_. Can you believe it? Like, it glowed and everything! And when her Mightyena used Hidden Power, it had an aura too! And they _matched_...it was so cool, just like out of those stories they used to tell us about the other projects. It was this really pretty gold and green. Do you suppose-"

"Anika? Shut up."

Her mouth snapped shut and she viewed Cameron with confusion. He looked as if someone had just poured a bucket of ice water over him.

Although he'd tried to appear calm and collected, internally he was panicking. _It couldn't be...I intentionally gave out false info on that paper so I'd know, but it sounded exactly like her...If she's really still out there, if she's really still alive after that explosion near her house...Her own _brother _barely survived, and he was farther away..._ He shook his head wearily. "All right," he said tiredly, purple eyes narrowed in thought. "You saw her. But what am I supposed to do with that information?"

"Well..." It was clear Anika hadn't thought past this moment. After several long seconds of silence, she piped up with, "What if we find her and take her back to the boss? Maybe she'll rejoin us and-"

"And what?" Cameron asked, voice going cold. "We'll have a tea party and talk about the 'good old days'? I don't think so."

"But Cameron!" she whined. "She seemed so low-level, like she didn't even know _how_ to use her powers. If we brought her back to the base, she could learn from the best and join the team again!"

"Or run away again and expose the whole project," he muttered under his breath. "I guess we don't really know what her intentions were, and the boss did say there's a big reward in store for anyone who finds her..." He studied the humming machine in the corner of the room. "Well, that wouldn't be too bad. And it would be nice to catch up with her." His grin made it clear he wasn't talking about a friendly chat. "I'll give the boss a call." He swung the chair around and pressed a button on the keyboard. The red letters 'TR' appeared against a black backdrop. "Oh, you can go," he said with a careless glance back at her.

"But...shouldn't I tell the boss the info I have?"

"No need. I'll give him all the information." He grinned nastily, speaking to her as if she were five. "You just run along and play with Janet, okay?"

"But Cameron-"

"Out. Oh, hello, Cassidy," he greeted the girl who had popped up. "Is the boss in?"

"Well, yes, but-" A crash in the background, followed by a male voice saying "oops" made her wince. She turned from the screen. "Botch, you idiot!"

"It's Butch!"

"Whatever." She looked back at Cameron. "He won't be in a good mood."

"He will after this." He smiled conspiratorially. "Connect me through."

Anika closed the door harder than usual, letting out a small 'hmph' as she did so.

"Pidgeot, Pidgeot-oo," her Pokemon grumbled, clearly annoyed with her partner.

"Don't worry, Pidgeot," she said, patting its head. "I know Cameron and he'll still let us come along. Besides, I have a ton of ideas on how to get that girl to come back to the team." She grinned. "Now, let's get something to eat-I'm starved!"

**If I haven't said so before, thank you to everyone who reads and enjoys my stories. I really appreciate feedback, even if it's just a simple 'good chapter'.**

**(Also, why do I love writing mean characters? I don't know...)**

**I only own Raelin, Anika, Janet, and Cameron.**

**Peace!**

**~DarkBloodbender937**


	6. Too Close

**I apologize for the long wait, school's been giving me such a hard time lately **

**Here's the first part of "Too Close" :)**

**Chapter 6 — Too Close**

"Do you even have a plan for this?" Gary asked Ash skeptically.

As per Brock's suggestion, they had waited until the next morning to begin investigating things, just to make sure the police had cleared the area. Gary, for one, was still doubtful.

Ash cast him a dismayed look in reply. "Sort of."

The brunette boy rolled his eyes. "Here we go."

"Well, I have half a plan." Ash ignored the disgruntled frown and looked at the others. "Nurse Joy said the girl was taken yesterday morning at the park, right?" He waiting while they nodded. "Well, then we should look there first. For clues."

"And what makes you think we'll find anything?" Brock questioned. "The police have already looked there."

"Maybe we'll get lucky. Let's go!" He took off for the park.

"Ash!" Misty called out.

Ash stopped and turned around. "What?"

She pointed in the opposite direction. "Park's that way."

He blinked. "Oh. I knew that!" He rushed past them again, and Brock sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, we'd better follow to make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The first words out of Ash's mouth when they arrived at the park were, "That's weird."

Even Raelin and Gary were in agreement. It was weird.

They had expected part or even all of the park to be sectioned off for an investigation, yet there wasn't a sign of warning tape anywhere. There were only posts placed in a square around a small area near some trees. Aside from being empty, the park looked normal.

"Come on." Ash clearly had his mind made up. He made his way over to the posts, the others following behind. He crouched down to take a closer look at the ground. "Look." He pointed to imprints of boots, only faintly visible in the dirt. They seemed to be leading straight into the trees. "You think that's from the kidnapper?"

"Looks too big to be a kid, so I'd say so," Misty agreed, crouching down to get a better look.

"But why would the police just leave it like that?" Raelin wondered, mystified. "It's evidence. They should've-"

"What are you kids doing here?" The group turned. Officer Jenny was strolling toward them briskly, Growlithe by her side. The blue-haired woman stopped short and peered suspiciously around at the group. "Well?"

Ash began, "We were just-"

"Admiring your amazing beauty!" Brock had zipped in front of Ash within seconds.

"Oh, really?" Jenny managed to cut Brock off before he started a rant. An eyebrow rose. "Are you kids aware that you're at the site of a crime?"

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about," Ash responded while Misty dragged a complaining Brock off. "We were just...just wondering why this whole place wasn't off-limits if you needed evidence."

"That's what I'm wondering too." Jenny knelt next to the posts, frowning in puzzlement.

"_What_?" Misty's head whipped around. "But I thought the police investigated this place yesterday."

"We did. But it appears that some things have changed..."

Ash tuned out the conversation. His attention was focused on Pikachu, who was shrinking back, almost slipping off Ash's shoulder. "Pikachu? What's wrong, buddy?"

"Pi-ika!" the Pokemon half-growled, half-whined. His ears were pressed flat and his cheeks sparked with electricity, which narrowly missed singeing Ash's hair. His narrowed eyes were fixed on the section of trees to the right of the posts.

"Pikachu..."

"Ash, watch out!" Misty yelled.

On instinct, Ash ducked to the left, throwing out his hands to catch himself. Officer Jenny's Growlithe shot past him, snarling in anger. It disappeared into the underbrush.

"Growlithe!" Jenny called, shocked. "Come back!" She raced for the trees and drew up short. Turning, she pointed at the group. "You kids stay there. I'll be back in just a minute." She followed after the distressed Pokemon, taking out a Pokeball as she ran.

As the sounds of the chase faded, Ash picked himself up and held out a hand. "Buddy? Hey, you're okay now."

"What's wrong with Pikachu?" Brock asked quietly.

"I don't know," he admitted, scratching the now semi-calm Pikachu behind the ears. "One minute he's fine; the next, I almost get shot with electricity and tackled by a Growlithe!"

"Umbreon's acting the same way," commented Gary. Ash glanced over, hearing the worry in his friend's voice. Gary was kneeling by his own Pokemon, who was obviously still distressed.

"Um, umbree..." Its ears flicked back once, lifted, and then twitched, as if it was listening hard.

_'Ember?'_ Raelin asked silently.

I felt it too. Something bad, something powerful.

_'But you couldn't tell what it was?'_

No. The Mightyena's tail swished once before drooping in embarrassment.

"Ember saw it, too," Raelin told the others, putting a hand on her bonded's back.

"Saw _what_, that's what I want to know," Misty remarked, watching Ash and Pikachu poke around the site.

"Well, we aren't going to find out anything by standing around," said Gary. "Let's get looking."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Growlithe!" Jenny called, finally catching up to her Pokemon partner. "What in the world was that about?"

Growlithe whined, pawed at something on the ground, then picked it up and brought it to her. Jenny knelt down and took the object from her partner's mouth.

A black Rising Badge caught the filtering sunlight and glinted.

"But...Claire!" Jenny straightened, realizing she had an additional mission. "The badge still has a scent on it, I bet. Growlithe, can you track it?"

The Pokemon took an extra sniff at the badge. It barked and took off on the trail. Jenny followed, elated at the breakthrough. _'If this works, I might just have to thank those kids. Never would have found this if they hadn't been lurking around where they weren't supposed to. Of course, I'll still have to question them-'_

Jenny slowed, realizing that not only were they deep into the woods, but that Growlithe had, for some reason, stopped running altogether.

"Growlithe? Is something wrong?"

Growlithe whined and circled; it seemed to have lost the trail, which was confirmed when the scent and sight of a powerful Smog attack surrounded them both. Jenny knelt on the ground, attempting to shield her eyes. "Growl...Growlithe!" she coughed, trying to speak through the smoke. The barks of her Pokemon filtered through the now dim surroundings.

Still coughing, Jenny crawled forward in an attempt to escape the smoke. Her eyes stung and began to water-she couldn't even see a foot in front of her now.

The barks that had been her beacon out of the smoke cut off abruptly. Jenny's pace slowed and she winced against the stinging in her eyes. Her partner was lost and she had no breath to call for him.

Before she could move, or decide to move, something heavy hit the back of her head. She twisted around; grey spots danced in front of eyes and she tried to blink them away.

Something behind a tree hissed. A shape slithered out from behind, drew itself up, and stepped through the remaining smog.

Jenny struggled as the net was thrown over her, but the swinging, jarring motion of being carried was too much for her already painful head.

She'd blacked out even before they'd reached the truck.

**So, yeah, things are getting intense... :o**

**~DarkBloodbender937**


End file.
